Similarities judaism and christianism

The similarities and parallels that can be drawn between a Jewish text, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and an early Christian one, the Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas, suggest that the origins of Christianity, can be found in Jewish roots. In order to see why Christianity began to conform itself as whole new religion, it is also important to point out the different approach to life that bothcommunities had.

First of all, it is due to take a close look at the style used in both texts. Perpetua´s words are written in a colloquial, passionate language, whereas The Community Rule uses a more direct, legalistic style. This distinction can lead us to distinguish that the purpose of the texts is not the same.

In Perpetua´s case, the use of personal suffering and mystical experiences, mixed withwhat seems to be a historical description of the days before her martyrdom, implies that we are reading a sort of a diary. In, “O most brave and blessed martyrs(…)assuredly ought to read these examples for the edification of the Church”[1]; the purpose of the manuscript is condensed, the author wanted that the accounts of the martyrdom would be an example for those who are suffering the samepredicament as her, to give them courage, to show them they are not alone; moreover, that their
testimony would “testify that one and the same Holy Spirit is always operating even until now, and God the Father Omnipotent, and His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, whose is the glory and infinite power for ever and ever”[2].

In The Dead Sea Scrolls, in “The Master shall teach the saints to live accordingto the Book of the Community Rule”[3] we can see the 1QS, is a manual, a code to teach, that must have been obeyed . This contrast lead us to believe, that the members of this Jewish community, in order to be part of the ones that would be saved, should live their days controlled by a strict set of rules whereas, the first Christians thought that their salvation was in their faith in God, a faith,that they were even prepared, and honoured, to die for.

Even, if at first sight, this two communities may appear to be quite different one from the other, to explain why the roots of Christianity can be traced to Jewish times, we should take a close look to the similarities between them. First, in both texts we can see the importance of the rites, specially the baptism. In the early days ofJudaism, baptism was seen both as physical and spiritual cleansing. In the Community Rule, baptism is seeing as a way to repent, but also as a rite of initiation, “he shall be cleansed from all his sins by the spirit of holiness uniting him to His truth, and his iniquity shall be expiated by the spirit of uprightness and humility.” [4]
In the words of Perpetua, “In that same interval of a few dayswe were baptized, and to me the Spirit prescribed that in the water of baptism nothing else was to be sought for bodily endurance”[5]. Comparing both approaches to baptism, we can see that when the Community Rule promises that baptism would free them of wickedness, but only if they are humble and submit themselves “to all the precepts of God” , baptism takes a more metaphysical twist in theChristian World, when talking about body endurance, she is referring not to the flesh but to spiritual body, God, is the true nourishment for the body.

Apart from agreeing in the importance of baptism, in both manuscripts we can also see depicted the battle between Good and Evil that occurs in the man soul. In the IQS, “The Angel of Darkness leads all the children of righteousness astray, and untilhis end, all their sin, iniquities, wickedness, and all their unlawful deeds are caused by his dominion on accordance with the mysteries of God”[6], and in Perpetua, “Then I awoke, and perceived that I was not to fight with beasts, but against the devil.”[7]
Furthermore, both Christians and Jews believe that with the help of God, Good will win against the Evil, “But the God of Israel and His...